“Are you sure you aren’t overdramatizing it a little, Nym? They aren’t strong enough to be a threat to us,” Ayla refused to even consider the question.
“Aren’t they? The enemy team was a mixture of monster hunters, adventurers and soldiers. We have met a few of them during our travels; you should all remember Albatha,” Nym said.
“Wait, that was Albatha in there? Why didn’t she do anything?” Luvon sounded confused.
“She tried. But even as a group, they had no means to wound Luna or slow down Raven. I can’t remember the last time I had seen such a one-sided fight. Nobody managed to stop a single attack from Raven or wound Luna to the point where she would notice. Albatha was famous for her magic, yet she looked like a little bunny next to two angry tigers,” Nym answered grimly.
“Can you confirm this Sana?” Finubar interrupted him.
“Yes. It’s not that they got killed while doing nothing, but rather they tried everything they had and nothing worked the tiniest bit,” Sana confirmed.
“Wait… how did they avoid the magic? That’s not something one can do randomly,” Anlyth remarked.
“So far we thought Luna is a crazy junkie who happens to have a dangerous, hostile spirit inside. Such a person would indeed be unable to act in a controlled manner when the hostile spirit takes possession. Yet today in the fight she did not fight like she was possessed… she used the same legwork and same techniques she uses when sparring with Raven,” Nym revealed.
“Still, she literally ate humans alive in the arena. How do you explain that?”
“That her body does not switch the possession between her and the hostile spirit, but rather they both join in. Exactly like a spirit wielder would,” Nym explained.
“So… to summarize, you are saying that the weird slave is more like a seasoned warrior with one hell of a strengthening magic and the crazy junkie is an untrained spirit wielder with a ridiculously strong spirit. Oh and neither of them realizes this, at all. That sounds completely bat-shit,” Luvon protested.
“I know it does,” Nym smiled, “but we need to face the reality. As of now, we have no means of wounding Luna or stopping Raven from killing us all if he ever so desires,” Nym added.
“I can stop him,” Luvon countered.
“Can you? I believe most of his previous opponents thought the same… why don’t you try to lift one of the weights he wears on his wrists and ankles?” Nym proposed.
Luvon went to where Raven took off his armor and picked up one of the weights.
“Holy shit, this thing is at least hundred pounds.”
“Today he wore these weights on wrists, ankles and a bigger one around the belt. Under them, he has the massive shackles which weight at least half of what these do. Yet he was faster than most men I had ever seen. I believe blocking his sword strike with your own blade would literally shatter your wrists and elbows,” Nym smiled.
Luvon went pale and didn’t answer. Nobody did.
Raven was enjoying the small waterfall that defined the cleaning room. The bruises from the beast hurt as the water touched them, but it seemed he managed to dodge the teeth successfully. He may have broken a few ribs, but nothing major; nothing Samantha couldn’t fix easily. Luna was sitting in the barrel of water, holding her knees and looking like the soul was ripped out of her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her softly.
“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG? IDIOT! MY LIFE IS OVER! OVER!!”
“How come?”
“Are you that fucking stupid?! Thousands of people just watched me eat humans. Seven humans, in fact. Nobody will ever treat me like a human being again! All my friends will deny ever knowing me, no man or woman will come close to me without me being in a cage!” Luna cried.
“I will. Don’t think it will be so bad. Things are different in the arena,” he added.
“I saw adult people vomiting and fainting in the tribune close to us. Almost everyone who could see me did. They will tell others and others will spread it even more! My life as a human being is over! OVER!”
“There are lots of matches after this. By the time this round ends, nobody will remember ours,” Raven offered.
“They won’t? Are you kidding me? We completely overturned the rules of the tournament, massacred a popular group of adventurers and killed our own team monster. Nobody will talk about anything else!”
“We didn’t overturn the rules. Killing wasn’t banned, attacking the enemy team at their starting position wasn’t banned and attacking own team members wasn’t banned either. The only thing that was banned was walking atop the maze construction and neither of us touched that part, so we fought exactly by the rules,” Raven explained calmly.
“You understand nothing! Idiot!”
“What the hell do you think you two are doing?” Samantha suddenly burst into the room.
“Washing,” Raven smiled.
“Yea? What about the part of getting your wounds checked? You forgot about that one, didn’t you? Both of you!” Samantha jabbed back as she strolled through the room towards Luna. Luna stared at her with a face full of embarrassment.
“Alright, you seem to be fine,” Samantha evaluated Luna and turned to Raven.
“I am also alright,” Raven offered.
“Are you?” Samantha made a poisonous smile and pushed her finger to the side of his chest.
Raven grunted with pain. Luna snarled viciously and was looking at Samantha like she wants to murder her.
“Feels like a broken rib,” Samantha commented, ignoring Luna completely.
“It’s nothing,” Raven protested.
Samantha pushed her finger into another spot, getting a stronger grunt of pain out of Raven this time around.
“This one too. Should I go on?” Samantha stabbed sharply.
Raven didn’t say anything, just smiled painfully.
“Now that we understand each other, put some clothes on and get on the stretcher that’s outside,” Samantha ordered him.
“I am not going on a stretcher.”
Samantha pushed a finger into another rib; Raven shouted out with pain.
“Alright, alright… I surrender”.
Luna chuckled, then immediately turned her face back into an angry snarl.
“You are coming too, sweetie, I need to check if you don’t have any pieces of arrows stuck under your skin,” Samantha aimed at Luna. Luna seemed like she wanted to pounce on her and rip her throat out but didn’t say anything. Samantha left the room as suddenly as she entered.
“You have five minutes,” she shouted from the outside.
“See? Samantha seems to be just like before,” Raven smiled at Luna.
“Tss!” Luna refused but somehow felt better.
They exited the room three minutes later to find out the prepared stretcher with two slaves prepared to carry it, Samantha was standing next to them with a strict look on her face and the Rapacious Reavers were grouped up by the side of the room, visibly sunk into some internal discussion.
“No sign of Jonathan,” Raven remarked upon checking the room.
“I smell him, he must have been here earlier,” Luna pitched in.
“He was,” Finubar turned to them, “he wished to congratulate us on the victory and express his sorrow at the loss of a team member. Nevertheless, we get some extra reward for today’s victory and do not have to attend the piety of the fighters who died in the arena today. Instead, our team celebration is in the upper mansion.”
“That really doesn’t sound like something Stallington would say,” Luna countered.
“He didn’t want to, but we convinced him it is better this way,” Finubar grinned.
“See you later,” Raven smiled as he put himself down on the stretcher.
“Indeed,” Finubar returned to his team.
“That seemed awfully fishy,” Luna said when they were out of the room as she was accompanying Raven to the provisory healer’s quarters where Samantha would treat him.
/> “It was true. Stallington went to the room mad angry, Finubar explained to him that it was a well-prepared effort from the whole team and thus celebration and extra rewards are in order,” Raven explained.
“How would you know that? There is no way you could hear anything while standing under running water and being two massive stone doors away,” Luna retorted.
“I hear more than I should.”
“I guess Finubar decided to start being friends,” Luna said after thinking for a bit.
“Indeed. Men often change their approach after being reminded of their own mortality.”
“Come to think of it, did you intentionally put too much strength into shooting me over the arena to test how I am when I lose it?” Luna asked suddenly.
“I did, but mostly because I was afraid that you might fall faster than expected and touch the top of the maze, which would get us disqualified,” Raven replied.
“So, did you make the whole plan of shooting me across the arena to test how I am when I go berserk or not?” Luna kept pushing, realizing she might have been played.
“I apologize for deceiving you.”
“You could have just asked me… you know.”
“You would have never told me the truth. Now I know why,” Raven smiled warmly.
“And you are… alright with it?” Luna asked weakly, visibly worried.
“It changes nothing for me, so yes, I am alright with it,” Raven answered. Tears shot up to Luna’s eyes, she grabbed him and hugged him so strongly she broke a few more ribs. Raven shouted in pain.
“You deserved this,” Luna smiled happily.
“I guess,” Raven grunted in pain.
“Does anyone else know?” he asked when he recovered.
“Just James.”
“James has to be one hell of a monster to have thought this up and taught it to you,” Raven said with appreciation.
“You have no idea. By the way, what was with the spear throw?”
“What do you mean?” Raven asked back cluelessly.
“You would have killed Stallington if ti wasn’t for the barrier, yet he seems to be okay with it. What the hell?”
“Ah, that’s an old bet between me and him. Ever since I was young, I would throw a spear at him after every match. It became sort of a ritual; he enjoyed it so he taunted me with a bet. If I ever kill him with a spear thrown from inside of the arena, I shall get all his properties and his title of the prince.”
25
Iowen
Finding the barrier crystal was easy. Tedious, but easy. Iowen spent half a night wandering through the tunnels under the arena complex, but finally found a spot where the secret room should be. A couple of hours later she found the secret door and how to open them. That was what Lucas wanted, so she stopped at that and went on to search for the supposed secret complex under the arena. Soon enough she came across a very used crossroad and went on the path that looked the most used.
Iowen silently prowled forward. She saw light ahead. It was just a dim reflection on the wall, but it was enough to make her cautious. She gave herself a couple of long minutes to calm down her breathing. Behind a corner was a corridor and at the end of it was a door. Large iron door. Next to the door was a burning torch attached to the wall and a guard on a stool. Iowen focused on listening.
Is he… snoring?
She knocked an arrow into her bow and advanced. She was silent and gentle. The guard didn’t react. She entered the circle of the light made by the torch. The guard didn’t react.
Quite a sleeper, isn’t he?
She stood in front of him. No reaction. Now she could hear the snoring clearly. Iowen put the bow over her shoulder and silently drew her dagger. It had a short, sharp blade made for when things get close and intimate. The guard didn’t move. She tried the door; it was unlocked.
I hope it stays that way.
She moved the door a little and it didn’t make a sound.
Well oiled, excellent.
Iowen slid into the door once the gap was large enough. Behind it laid a hallway, long but lit with torches. Iowen sheathed her blade and turned her walk into a brisk pace, keeping her figure straight and confident. She exited the tunnel into a small platform from which stairs led down sideways. She paused. In front of her lied a massive carven. Inside the cavern was what she could only describe as a small city. There were houses, roads; lights fired all over the place.
How long were they building this?
She just stared. After a while, Iowen remembered why she is here and looked at it more closely. The ceiling of the cavern was very high; there was water dripping from it in multiple places. Those places were darker, probably made of metal.
They look like trapdoors. No, dense bars. I guess that’s where the air comes from. So the place is connected to the outside somehow.
The cavern was dominated by sharp hill in the middle of it, hill filled with houses and cages.
Cages?
Iowen walked down the stairs. The water kept dripping from the ceiling.
They seem to have water tanks to catch the water, releasing extra water as artificial streams. Well guided streams, Iowen realized as she saw they lead the water to ledges under which were other water tanks.
Oh Gods, how many levels does this cavern have?
There was a ring around the central hill, one that didn’t look like it at first but was actually an abyss leading down. The central hill wasn’t small, it was actually very high and lead further down the cavern. There were lights alongside it all the way down where she could see.
What the hell is this place?
She was now standing on a bridge looking down into the chasm.
It seems all the houses and cages are on the central hill. The ring around it is apparently uninhabited, at least judging by the lights.
She turned around and went over the bridge.
“Haven’t seen you around here, lass,” a rough voice greeted her from the guard post by the end of the bridge. He was tall and dressed in a messy uniform. Uniform with a large symbol of the Slaver Union on its chest.
“Get new glasses then,” she cut back sharply.
“What’s your business here?” the guard made a step towards her.
“Do you really want me to tell the boss I am late on his errands because you held me up to flirt?” Iowen jabbed at him.
“Sorry, miss, didn’t mean it that way,” he stopped in his tracks, confused. Iowen just passed him, not granting him another glance.
Iowen continued into the small city.
City, that’s the only way I can call this. Not a village, not a town, a city. That’s what this place feels like.
Iowen walked by the houses towards the nearest large cage she could see. The houses were made of wood, old but relatively well-maintained wood. She stalked closer to one of the houses and peered in using the light from a street lantern. Inside slept people, four men. All looked like soldiers and there were indeed uniforms hanging on the walls. She continued on the road and checked other houses as well. All looked pretty much the same and had eerily similar inhabitants.
Iowen let them be and went for one of the large cages. There were no lights there, so she picked up a lantern from the street to see something. The lantern was relatively heavy. It was made of metal and shielded with glass from the sides while it still had what she could only describe as an iron hat over itself. It was well shielded from the water that occasionally dripped from above. Iown went to the cage and froze when she saw inside. It was full of people. Apparently living people. They were lying across the ground of the cage in whatever they could have made into beds. Iowen looked closer and her stomach turned. The people were barely dressed, visibly starved and disfigured. All of them. Some had scales on their body; some had a limb turned into a claw, others had large tusks and massive teeth. There was a man who looked like he has a long tentacle instead of an arm.
What the hell is this?
She saw a pair of eyes looking
at her from one group of people. She motioned the person to come closer. It didn’t. Iowen reached into her pocket and pulled out an apple. A small girl came to her the bars. She was no more than seven, so skinny she looked a wraith.
“You don’t look like a guard,” the girl said with a curious look.
“I am not,” Iowen replied and handed forward the apple, “do you have a name, girl?”
“Addie.”
“I am Miranda,” Iowen replied as she handed the girl an apple. The girl reached out with a scaly hand; her fingers were tipped by claws. She took the apple, then quickly bit into it, revealing sharp pointy teeth.
Miranda is going to kill me if she ever finds out. But I couldn’t think of another name fast enough.
“How did you get here, Addie?” Iowen asked.
“I was born here,” she replied with her mouth full as she was trying to eat the apple as fast as she could. Iowen did what she could to keep her face straight and not start vomiting.
“Was your arm always like this?” Iowen continued inquiring.
“No,” Addie made an awkward and embarrassed face.
“What the hell is going on there?” a guard turned from behind a corner and shouted at her. Addie quickly disappeared among the sleeping people who were now slowly waking up from the sound.
“I am inspecting the goods,” Iowen stood up to face him.
“Haven’t seen you around here yet,” the guard said, clearly suspicious.
“How could that be? Ah, right! Maybe because I am from Cinderwell and was sent to inspect the progress,” Iowen remarked sarcastically.
“Sent by whom?” the guard asked.
“Mr. Lawland, head of the Cinderwell mines, approved by Mr. Woonard. You are free to go check with him,” Iowen smiled.
The guard didn’t say a thing and was visibly thinking.
Seems like I was spot on. My armor is as black as theirs while the thick cloak is something a woman would wear into a place where water constantly drips from the ceiling. On top of that, everyone wears weapons around here, so I actually fit right in.
“These don’t look to be of much use,” she glanced over the cage in an arrogant gesture, “I hope you have something better, else this trip will be worse than just disappointing.”
Legacy of Dreams: Freedom Page 17
